Friday, July 31, 2015

First order of business was to modify the rural mail box. It was fine last year , but apparently this year, the delivery vehicle is no longer a van but a car, so the box must be no higher from the ground than 42 inches. Canada post never cease to amaze me with their ever changing rural delivery rules... My own mail box is now on the wrong side of the road, so I have to go to a communal super mail boxes, sigh!

Me and Sue, taking apart the mail box post

to shorten it and fix the base.

So we ended up lobbing off about 7 in off the post and reattached the mail box on it, then fix the base structure too, it had a rough winter :-)
Post office being satisfied, her mail has now resumed delivery.

New regulation height rural mail box back in service.

Yes the base is mobile, it help survived the winters...

Next was the demolition of dividing walls in the garage loft in the attic. They were all constructed with screws rather than nails, very sturdy!! Resisted blow from sledge hammer all too well, ended up removing untold screws, battery ran down in impact driver I was using, so finished by hand. Man that was a lot of screws....

Growing pile of construction lumber removed, all free of screws :-)

Also had to move one electrical box. While the battery recharged, I cleaned up the upstairs, then sized up what I need to do tomorrow, to extend the plumbing vent line above the roof line.

The girls went up shopping for flooring, when they came back from "Home Despot", I had a lot of flooring boxes to unload, yeah.... That finished me off for the day...
I wasn't planing on it, but I can foresee layout a floor in my future :-)
Oh and I'm told the dividing wall in the loft on the first floor is going also, humm

Yes Stefan, I can read into the future he he...

Lower dividing wall shorten. There are no load bearing walls.

Bathroom is behind remaining walls.

The wall used to go across and there was a sliding door.

The big opening in the ceiling is for an access trap to upstairs storage loft. Need to figured out some sort of pulley system for her to be able to close/open it from the ground floor. And while I'm at it, maybe a Binford 2000 electric power winch system :-)

I'm done for the day, having a nap with my helper.

She is too young to fetch 2X4 yet, only twigs :-)

Day three

Today big job was to extend the plumbing vent line and get everything plumbing wise ready for inspection.
Only other work related would be to properly put a trap on the washing machine discharge drain, it's currently acting more like a vent...
The county inspector dropped in to oversee our work so far, had a chance to clarify a few requirements with him.
There is no plumbing stack to speak of, and the undersized vent line is terminated inside the lean-to shed. Need to up-size it to a proper 3 in stack all the way thru the roof and vent the kitchenette sink properly (too far from proposed vent stack).
Said plumbing need to be inspected, so best to call a plumber to discuss, how to proceed.
Similarly the electrical need to be inspected and approved by NSPC. Arrangements made for both plumber and electrician.

There was one broke window, the guy from the glass place came and measured it. Whenever I deal with windows, I ALWAYS let the glass guy measured, this way in case of errors, its their problems not mine :-)

You see, all these changes are required because if she intend to turn the garage into a "dwelling" it has specific requirements; Power/plumbing etc.
Her lot is only zoned for one dwelling and the septic system can only handle three bedrooms,

That's why the upstairs divisions had to go down, so it is strictly for "storage" and the electrical entrance, 100A, is barely big enough to handle stove/dryer and heat pump.

Solutions:
If the garage and house were attached by some sort of covered entryway, it would become, one single dwelling.
She talks of putting up a 3 seasons solarium attached to the garage, if it was to span both buildings, problems solved. YES, if being attached to both buildings, it raises all kinds of under structure (foundation) requirements...

Since she can only have 3 bedrooms total, the upstairs of the garage cannot have a bedroom unless we put proper up to code stairways. That would be in my future :-)
Hence why we prep the downstairs for a living room, kitchenette (no stove) and possibly some sort of Murphy bed to reclaim the space when not in use.
All these modifications would satisfy the county, that it is not to be a permanent residence (dwelling) but occasional occupancy, once we fixed everything to their satisfaction.

After that it's clearing the floor in preparation for its new flooring. The girls think it would be easy, me I'm not so convinced. Yes, easy to lay down, but also easy to make it look bad if the there are seams showing... Will see when we get there.

Last day (four) was spend cleaning up for the upcoming inspections and work by plumber, window guy etc.

I finished putting back the upstairs trim at the ceiling line.

Once division walls were removed.

It needed some trim put back on.

Reinstalled.

Cleaning up the "storage space"

That was pretty well it, we done all we could to help her out in this mini "working vacation". Will be back later for more finishing touches, but at least now she knows what need to be done and she has a big weight lifted off her shoulder...

We got back home after supper last nite and went straight to bed...go figure :-)

PS:
Ralph, took some measurements and more photos of the desk you expressed an interest in building.
Sylvain, there was no secret drawers I could see (but if there was, I couldn't tell you or it wouldn't be a secret :-)

Sunday, July 26, 2015

My next week is looking like I'll be away from the shop for a while.
Got a few heavy pieces of furniture to move from house to a friend's camp (another one than I one we recently re-roofed) then help her turned her garage into living quarters, as per the county's inspection reports.

Nothing too big, but i'll keep me busy for a while :-)

Me working hard at the camp :-)

My friend has a shed there, but the darn squirrels keep chewing the power cord for the electric mower. Right at the plug, does not leave me much room to reconnect the wires!! I just happened to own the same mower, so I could test it on mine.

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Today was the Change of Command parade for 14 Wing Greenwood.
Col Huddelston relinquish command of the Wing to Col Thauberger.

My last Squadron on parade, VP404.

The reviewing Officer Major-General Wheeler Cmdt 1 Cdn Air Division Norad, passing the Wing fanion from the former Cmdt to the new one.

The official signing of power transfer.

Col Thauberger giving the General salute to the reviewing officer.

With a CP140 giving a fly over.

Col, then LCol, Thauberger was my last CO when I retired, from 404 Long Range Patrol & Training Squadron. I always wanted to retired on my own term when I was still enjoying myself along a good command team. At the Squadron I was the Technical Standards Master Warrant Officer and the Senior Aircraft Maintenance Superintendent (SAMS). I truly enjoyed my job and wanted to retired on a high note.

Taking down the flag that I raised on the Wing the morning prior

Some of my personnel folding my flag

My CO LCol Thauberger, presenting me with the flag that flew on the Wing in honor of my 35 plus years service, with Heather looking on.

Later on, during my Depart With Dignity formal ceremony,

the Sqn CO and Sqn Chief WO making some presentations.

Then in the afternoon I went to help a friend re-shingled his camp roof at Waterloo lake on a small island.

Only access is by boat. The materials have been previously brought.

Striping the roof on one side. The door was previously replaced,

windows would be next, someday :-).

Almost done...

In the evening the LOML (Heather) and I went over the plans to relocate the laundry room.
My first sub task would be to relocate the current office area too make room for the laundry room. That would kick us off line temporarily while I re established the connection...

About Me

I have been woodworking since I was a young kid, but only since adulthood and raising a young family have I been more involved in various woodworking related projects by necessity. Being military, we moved around and did numerous home renovation projects as designed by my wife, I executed them :-) I have also been a regular member of most base's woodshop I encountered in our moves.
Our garages have always been treated as a full shop, our cars rarely ever seen the insides of them, unless I had to for some repair work. Like most, I grew up watching Norm Abrams New Yankee workshop and have the usual compliment of power tools, but I also watched Roy Underhill Woodwright shop and have long aspired to becomes more unplugged. Another big inspiration source for me as been reading everything that Chris Schwarz wrote and watching Paul Sellers videos and blog.
Probably the biggest watershed moment in my woodworking, woodcarving development has been by joining clubs and associations.
While in Ottawa, I discovered a small group of woodworkers, maybe 10 or so, who met and organized things like a visit behind the scene at Lee Valley. I was hooked :-)
We kept growing, we organized ourselves, constitution and all and became the Ottawa Woodworkers Association http://www.ottawawoodworkers.ca/ I was elected the first Program Director.
It was my job to organize presentations, demo, visits etc. I gave the first lecture/demo on sharpening. I learned sharpening from my Annapolis Valley Woodcarvers Club's days so I got to be fanatical about sharp edges. While in Ottawa, I was also a member of the Outaouais Woodcarvers http://www.owcarvers.com/
At times in our moves I didn't have much room to devoted to woodworking, but I discovered a thing called Ebay and became somewhat more of a tool collector than a user. Yes, I have a large tool assortment to choose from :-)
After reading Chris's ATC, I have been trying very hard to somewhat downsize my ''assortment'' to a more manageable tool kit. I mean, just how long do you think it can take to sharpen 115 planes, 45 chisels and 67 handsaws...really!
The nice thing about having collected so many specimens of tools is that it give you an historical hands on perspective on how and why some were good design and why some fail miserably. To help keep track of my herd I long started to catalogue every tool coming in the shop, pictures before and after rehabbing and etc.
This blog is then my small contribution to the growing knowledge base on line and to share my woodworking adventures, mistakes and all, to whomever may be interested to learn from my mistakes and tribulations as I continue to grow as a woodworker.